Detection, epidemiology and characterization of VP6 and VP7 genes of group D rotavirus in broiler chickens.

Detection, epidemiology and characterization of VP6 and VP7 genes of group D rotavirus in broiler chickens. Avian Pathol. 2014 May 30;:1-6 Authors: Bezerra DA, da Silva RR, Kaiano JH, de Souza Oliveira D, Gabbay YB, Linhares AC, Mascarenhas JD Abstract Rotaviruses infect humans and animals and are classified into eight groups (A to H). Group D rotavirus (RVD) has been described in birds, although relatively few reports are available. The present study focused on RVD, including epidemiological and molecular aspects of samples collected from broiler chickens in the state of Pará, Brazil. A total of 85 faecal samples were collected between 2008 and 2011 from 37 chicken farms located in eight different municipalities. The viral double-stranded RNA was extracted from faecal suspensions and analysed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), followed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nucleotide sequencing of the VP6 and VP7 genes. Comparing the positive results, 16.5% (14/85) were obtained by PAGE and 35.3% (30/85) by RT-PCR. Samples from seven of eight municipalities were positive for RVD and infections were recorded in 17 (45.9%) of 37 chicken farms. The RVD infection rate was significantly higher in the 16-day to 30-day age group (62.2%; 23/37) compared with other ages. No consistent relationship was found between the infection rate and either the population density in poultry houses or the climatic ...
Source: Avian Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Avian Pathol Source Type: research